1 » Combining the accomplishments of football and basketball teams nationally thus far during the BCS era, Rivals.com has listed the Florida Gators as the top overall program in the country. With 81 total points (44.5 from football and 36.5 from basketball based on their specific scoring system), Florida is 12 points ahead of the runner-up (Ohio State, 69) and out in front by 16 points over No. 3 overall (Texas, 65).

2 » Working his way up draft boards, Gators forward Chandler Parsons is currently training on the West Coast in preparation for the 2011 NBA Draft. ESPN Insider’s Chad Ford recently got to watch him practice along with a number of other prospects and came away impressed, bumping him up to potential first-round pick status.

Parsons really surprised me. I knew he was skilled and athletic for a 6-foot-10 player. But he showed aggressiveness that I just hadn’t seen at Florida. […] He showed the ability to take [Paul] George off the dribble to the rim, rise up and hit jumpers over George’s freakishly long arms and most importantly he made a number of spell-binding passes to [Malcolm] Thomas. Parsons’ decision-making in the sets was fantastic. So was his shooting. He was hitting just about every shot he took and showed range out to the NBA 3-point line.

3 » Taking a look at players who are “soon to be stars” in the AFC East, Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson thoroughly discussed New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes’s future in a blog post on ESPN on Thursday:

Brandon Spikes is the perfect fit as the heavier take-on inside linebacker in Bill Belichick’s 3-4 scheme. Pass coverage — particularly man coverage against tight ends and swifter running backs — will probably always be a problem for Spikes, but what Spikes does, he does very well. This guy stops the run. And he stops the run very well. Spikes is a downhill player who is very quick to react. He does his best work between the tackles and as a fantastic take-on linebacker. He is also the ideal complement to Jerod Mayo, who is more of the athletic free-lancing type. Spikes rarely plays a bad game and is a model of consistency — even at such a young age (23).

4 » Choosing to workout up north with his brother and some of his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates, Miami Dolphins center/guard Mike Pouncey is trying to get in shape so he is read if/when the lockout is lifted. “I’m just doing offensive line drills with the guys, and I’ll be going down to Miami in two weeks to do that stuff with my offensive line,” Pouncey told the Palm Beach Post’s Ben Volin. “But I’ve been talking to Jake [Long], [Richie] Incognito and Vernon [Carey]. I can’t wait to get down there and learn from them.” Volin also spoke with his mother, Lisa Webster, who noted that her son is fueled by some of the shots he’s taken from NFL Draft analysts like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, who say he is not the same caliber player his brother center Maurkice Pouncey has become. “It pisses him off. They’re so competitive,” she said.

Tags: Bill Belichick, Brandon Spikes, Chandler Parsons, Jake Long, Jerod Mayo, Lisa Webster, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers, Richie Incognito, Vernon Carey

The 2011 NFL Draft came and went last weekend with four former Florida Gators selected during the three-day event.

Center Mike Pouncey was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the first round, tackle Marcus Gilbert was picked in the second round and is headed to join Pouncey’s brother with the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Ahmad Black had to wait until the fifth round to be selected by his childhood favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Washington Redskins gave guard Maurice Hurt a chance in the seventh round.

The United Football League held its third draft on Monday with two former Florida players earning unique opportunities.

Cornerback Reynaldo Hill, a four-year NFL veteran (Tennessee Titans, 2005-08), was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round by the Omaha Nighthawks. Hill was a seventh round pick by Tennessee in 2005 but has been out of the league for years.

Defensive tackle Ian Scott, a seven-year veteran and fourth round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2003 NFL Draft, was chosen No. 30 overall in the sixth round by the Virginia Destroyers and head coach Marty Schottenheimer. After playing for Chicago (2003-06), Scott had a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles (2007) before finishing his career with the San Diego Chargers (2008-09).

The duo join former Gators guard Tavares Washington in the UFL; Washington has played the last two seasons for the Las Vegas Locomotives.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Chicago Bears, Draft, Ian Scott, Las Vegas Locomotives, Marcus Gilbert, Marty Schottenheimer, Maurice Hurt, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Omaha Nighthawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reynaldo Hill, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tavares Washington, Tennessee Titans, UFL, Washington Redskins

1 » Just days after being selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, former Florida Gators center Mike Pouncey went on the Joe Rose Show on 560 WQAM in Miami, FL to discuss being drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Discussing draft day itself, Pouncey said he was worried when the Dolphins didn’t call him right away as the clock ticked away. “When they was on the clock, I was getting nervous. I leaned over and told my brother, ‘Man, I don’t think they’re going to call me,’” he said. “And they finally called me with like two minutes left on the clock. It was one of the best moments of my life, and I’m so happy to be a Miami Dolphin.”

Waiting to hear from Miami left tackle Jake Long so he can begin practicing with his teammates, Pouncey also talked to Rose about his bad snaps with Florida in 2010. “It was my first year playing center. As the season went on, I got better and better,” he said. “At the end of the year, it wasn’t even a problem. When I went out there the first game, I just let it get in front of me. I took shotgun snapping for granted basically.”

2 » Former Gators safety Ahmad Black may not been picked as early as he wanted (or should have been), but things worked out in the end as his favorite team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, decided to give him a chance to succeed in the NFL. Speaking with his hometown paper, the Lakeland Ledger, over the weekend, Black was excited. “This is a blessing,” he said. “A lot of people have asked me where I wanted to go, and Tampa was always my first pick. That’s my favorite team. I didn’t really want to say I just want Tampa because there was always a chance I would go somewhere else.”

Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris won’t label Black position-wise, though he thinks he can assist in a number of ways. “He is a safety that has the ability to play corner [and is a] hybrid athlete that can do multiple things because of [his] instincts and awareness,” he said.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Draft, Jake Long, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Round 1 – No. 15
Mike Pouncey, C/G
Miami Dolphins

Height: 6’5″ – Weight: 303 lbs.
Age: 21 – Class: Senior

Upon returning to the Florida Gators for his senior season, center/guard Mike Pouncey declared that his goal was to learn how to snap the ball so he could become a first-round pick and selected than his brother. Waiting patientely in the green room at Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY, Pouncey learned Thursday evening that his goal had been accomplished when he received a phone call from the Miami Dolphins, who decided to select him No. 15 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.

“I just think it was a perfect fit. I think they were just trying to hide it from other teams that they were interested in me,” he said while on the phone with local media Thursday night. “I mean, I was kind of shocked that they didn’t bring me in or work me out. But I was hoping on draft day that they picked me and I’m glad they did.”

A starter at Florida for three seasons, Pouncey may be able to line up from day one for Miami, a team desperately in need of assistance in the interior of their offensive line. Pouncey can start at guard right away and could, like his brother, have the opportunity to win the center job during training camp, seeing as the Dolphins re-signed starting left guard Richie Incognito in the offseason and selected John Jerry in the third round of last year’s draft to play right guard.

“I’m just going to go out there and work as hard as I can, learn both positions,” he said. “And it’s up to coach [Tony] Sparano and my teammates what position I’ll be playing.”

Pouncey is the first Gators player selected by the Dolphins since then-head coach Nick Saban picked linebacker Channing Crowder in the third round of the 2005 draft.

He was chosen three slots ahead of his brother, center Maurkice Pouncey, who was selected No. 18 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Maurkice started every game except the Super Bowl (injury) and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

“Obviously I know that I’m coming in with big expectations because of all the success that my brother’s had but I’m just going to go out there and earn the respect of my teammates and try to earn a spot on that team,” Pouncey said.

The 43rd Florida player to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, he is the fifth consecutive first-round pick for the Gators and 12th in the last 15 years.

WHAT POUNCEY SAID
VIDEO: Roger Goodell announces the pick
Conference Call Transcript
Interview with Finsiders (radio)
Press Conference on Friday

WHAT THEY SAID
Dolphins Conference Call Video/Transcript

Head coach Will Muschamp: “I’m happy for Mike that he is getting the chance to realize a lifelong dream. I didn’t coach Mike, but I’ve had the opportunity to meet him and you can tell that he has a passion for the game. I wish him the best of luck.”

» OGGOA’s 2011 NFL Draft Live Blog – Click here!

Tags: Draft, John Jerry, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Richie Incognito, Super Bowl, Tony Sparano

Legalities surrounding the lockout may still be looming, but the 2011 NFL Draft will begin without a hitch Thursday night (ESPN, NFL Network) and run through April 30 as more than a dozen former Florida Gators hope to see their childhood dreams come true.

As fans of the 32 NFL teams look on nationwide, those supporting Florida’s players may not be as excited about the event this time around considering there will be a significant drop-off from the nation-leading nine players that were selected in 2010 (including a school-record three in the first round and six in the first two rounds).

Few things are certain when it comes to the NFL Draft – trades can occur at any moment and each team views its most pressing needs and what each player brings to the table differently than analysts and commentators do. Rather than try to predict the unknown variables and tell you what could happen, we will stick with what likely will happen.

» Center/guard Mike Pouncey will be the only first-round pick, selected before his brother was and headed to one of five teams.

Unless a team decides that they desperately need a center and plans to trade into the top half of the first round in order to jump a handful of other teams, Pouncey will likely be headed to either the Miami Dolphins (15) or New York Giants (19) at their respective draft slots or to one of three teams that would have to trade down/up for him: Dallas Cowboys (9), Chicago Bears (29) or Pittsburgh Steelers (31). The top-rated interior lineman in the draft, Pouncey continues to garner high praise and has plenty of teams around the league looking in his direction.

» Florida will not have another player selected until at least the third round.

There was talk for a while that tackle Marcus Gilbert may be moving into the category of a late second-round selection but that has died down recently. However, he is the only player on the team who has actually climbed up draft boards since the season ended. His size is undeniable and scouts were impressed with his agility and strength. Gilbert projects as either a right tackle or guard in the NFL with many scouts believing he might perform better in the latter position. He will likely be selected sometime in the third round and may very well be one of only two Gators picked in the first two days of the draft.

Click to expand and read the remainder of this post.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Ahmad Black, Bill Belichick, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Hicks, Brandon Spikes, Carl Johnson, Carl Moore, Chas Henry, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Draft, Duke Lemmens, Emmanuel Moody, John Fairbanks, Justin Trattou, Justin Williams, Lawrence Marsh, Lorenzo Edwards, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Will Hill

Planning to follow in his brother’s footsteps of being a first-round selection, former Florida Gators center/guard Mike Pouncey has accepted an invitation from the league to attend the 2011 NFL Draft on April 28 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY.

Pouncey has let it known that his goal is to be picked ahead of his brother Maurkice Pouncey, who was selected No. 18 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. He is considered the top interior offensive lineman in the draft and has been projected by analysts to potentially go as high as No. 15 to the Miami Dolphins.

Since showcasing his talent for coaches and scouts at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, IN and Pro Day in Gainesville, FL, Pouncey has been conducting private workouts with teams potentially interested in drafting him and will continue to do so as draft day approaches.

Tags: combine, Draft, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pro Day, Radio City Music Hall

1 » Former Florida Gators center Mike Pouncey, expected to be the only member of his team picked in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, told the Sporting News on Monday that he will attend the event if invited regardless of what the NFLPA asks rookies to do. “I haven’t been invited yet, but I’m hoping to get invited,” Pouncey said. “I’ll bring my brother up there and a couple of my family members. I’m going if I’m invited. I just feel like it’s a dream I’ve wanted my whole life. We’ve busted our tails to be in the draft, and it’s a dream come true.” He understands this might ruffle the feathers of some veterans but explained that the day is about the rookies. “I’m not too worried about [any backlash],” he said. “I respect their feelings because they’re great players. But as far as them keeping us from going to the draft, I’m totally against it.”

2 » Speaking of Pouncey, former NFL head coach Brian Billick – who also spoke highly of safety Ahmad Black – praised his versatility on his daily blog published for WNST AM1570 in Baltimore, MD. Below is a portion of what he wrote:

When you watch Pouncey play, you see a good athlete that plays light on his feet, but can anchor down and get physical when needed. That athleticism is on display when you watch him pull on counter and trap plays. He runs a tight line through the hole and gets to the second level quickly to clear a path for the running back. His initial punch is powerful and he keeps good leverage to hold up the defender at the line of scrimmage. […] Late in the game as fatigue sets in, Mike tends to stand up straighter and bend at the waist rather than the knees. He will need to fight off the urge to be a consistent performer in the NFL. Because of his versatility and body of work, Mike Pouncey will be the first interior lineman to be selected.

3 » There has never been any attempt by OGGOA to hide our admiration for Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder. Proving our fascination with his ability to make any interview interesting once again, Crowder spouted off on ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. on 560 WQAM in South Florida on Monday, nothing that the high-haired analyst cost him a bunch of money coming out of the University of Florida by over-projecting him. “Mel Kiper and all, he messed me over,” Crowder said. “He lied to me, said I was a top-20 [pick] had me go out and spend X amount of dollars and then owe the bank stuff. They’re just guessing like we guess.” Obviously Kiper didn’t force Crowder to spend a penny; he was being facetious in the statement.

4 » A family man first and baseball player second, former Florida second baseman David Eckstein has decided to put his playing career either on hold or on the shelf permanently in order to donate a kidney to an ailing family member. The Ecksteins, who Yahoo! Sports’ ThePostGame reports have had “five kidney transplants with six more anticipated” as a family, did not ask David to give up his over the years because of a MLB career that earned him millions. He took it upon himself to save a family member’s life this time around. “Everything my family went through gave me a life lesson at an early age that a game is just a game, it’s not life-or-death,” he said. “But along with that, it taught me to never take a day for granted. I’m looking forward to the transplant. I consider it a privilege. I knew at some point it would be my turn.” Also donating a kidney for his family is former Gators player Rick Eckstein, David’s brother. Read the rest of writer Steve Henson’s amazing story on the Ecksteins here.

Tags: baseball, Channing Crowder, David Eckstein, Draft, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, MLB, NFL, Rick Eckstein

1 » Former Florida Gators cornerback Dee Webb, who spent a portion of 2010 with the Jacksonville Sharks of the revamped AFL, has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL for the 2011 season. A former draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Webb tried out for the Miami Dolphins last year but did not make the cut. He will be playing in the CFL for a second time after previously trying out for Toronto (in 2007) and joining the Calgary Stampeders (in 2009).

2 » Though Denver Broncos wide receiver Jabar Gaffney is getting up there in age (he turns 31 next season), it appears that he will remain an integral part of the team’s receiving corps in 2011. With two starters recovering from surgeries, The Denver Post expects Gaffney to have the opportunity to capitalize on their absences. Posting career-highs in receptions (65) and yards (875) in 2010, Gaffney thrived under quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow and is not costing the team much money with a $2.4 million salary set for next season.

3 » Miami Heat forward Mike Miller, who left Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers after getting hit in the head, stayed overnight for concussion tests and will miss at least one game. It is the second time in as many games Miller sustained a blow to the head, though the first did not appear to cause any damage necessitating further tests.

4 » Just over two weeks ago, the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks clashed in a heated contest that ended with a 111-102 victory for Atlanta. During the game, a fight broke out between the teams. Forward/center Amare Stoudemire of the Knicks took exception after Hawks F/C Al Horford was “particularly vocal and demonstrative,” according to ESPN. Now Stoudemire is looking forward to going up against his NBA All-Star teammate in a rematch between New York and Atlanta on Wednesday. “It’s going to be a very, very intense game after what happened in Atlanta,” he said. “[Horford] don’t want to see me. I watched him play in Florida, and I’ve seen him play a few years in Atlanta. We’ve got two different games, and we’ll see how it plays out.” Horford responded Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t understand what he means by that, ‘He don’t want to see me,’” he said. “Like we’re supposed to be scared of [Stoudemire]. Ain’t nobody scared of him. We’re all grown men, so it’s all good.”

Tags: AFL, Al Horford, All-Star, Atlanta Hawks, Calgary Stampeders, CFL, Dee Webb, Denver Broncos, Indiana Pacers, Jabar Gaffney, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Sharks, Kyle Orton, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, NBA, New York Knicks, NFL, Tim Tebow, Toronto Argonauts